Snapchat: The Worldwide Connection
By Sarah Ryu and Vivianne Lee
Edited by Amy Shin
Design by Nicole Yang
Edited by Amy Shin
Design by Nicole Yang
The new Snapchat has made many updates in different areas this past year. With the new emojis that replaced the “best friends” list, Snapchat has also added a new feature called “Discover.” This section delivers selected content from CNN, ESPN, People, Cosmopolitan, and more. As these kinds of updates emerge, Snapchat is moving beyond its beginning as a disappearing messaging app.
The company wrote, “Snapchat Discover is a new way to explore stories from different editorial teams. It’s the result of collaboration with worldclass leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first.” There are currently twelve content providers. Each day, they add new articles, videos and photos. These media organizations are trying to reach where the audience already is, which is Snapchat. By many users, it is seen to be incredibly meaningful and super helpful for people who aren’t consuming content on TV, newspapers, and magazines. This app that started out as an ephemeral photo messaging app also developed new way of defining “social network.” It is no longer about sharing slices of people's’ lives with friends. Their new feature called “Our Story” allows users to create public collections of photos and videos captured at the same live event. Even without having other users from around the world as your, you can watch clips of concerts, sports games, etc. This is a unique experience for the users because they are usually only exposed to a first person perspective of an event or by watching it through the Internet. Many users and critics have found this new feature to be a significant contribution. Eighth grader, Nicole Yang says, “This is a great way to share the different cultures by filming events that take place around the world.” “I love how we can see different people and events from different parts of the world. It’s really cool to see their culture and how the place looks in general.”. It is clear that Snapchat is steering away from the common norms that define their app as just a “phototexting app.” Their new features prove that they are trying to bring their users together as they share their different experiences and cultures. The news media that is included in their app is also encouraging users to be updated quickly with the news. No longer is it just an app for sending photos and chats, it is something different and unique in the social media industry. |
|